Waste and recycling receptacles and receptacle systems are used for on-site, temporary storage of waste and recycling. The term “recycling,” when used herein, means any material that is discarded by a user and that can be processed for re-use where facilities exist, and includes, depending on the jurisdiction, compost or other organic waste, paper, glass, plastics, metal containers, and electronic waste (such as cell phones, batteries, computers). The term “waste,” when used herein, means material that is discarded other than recycling, which material is normally is dumped in landfill or incinerated.
Throughout this specification, waste and garbage will be used interchangeably and are to be given the same meaning. It will be appreciated that what constitutes waste in one jurisdiction may be considered recycling in another jurisdiction where recycling facilities exist.
Given the widespread nature of recycling programs, it is desirable to provide receptacles having multiple compartments for separating waste from recycling and, if applicable, different types of recycling from each other (e.g. organic waste from paper). As recycling technologies evolve, it is envisioned that the amount of waste generated by users will decrease, while the amount of recycling will increase. It is therefore advantageous to provide a waste and recycling receptacle and system capable of handling changing volumes of each type of discarded matter to minimize time spent emptying receptacles and to eliminate the need to replace existing units with new different capacity units. It is also desirable to provide a receptacle system that can be configured on-site to provide a variable number of compartments based on user requirements.
Multiple-compartment receptacles are known and disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,974,746, 5,033,641, 5,615,797, and 5,873,643. However, a need still exists for improved receptacles and receptacle systems that are easy to configure and reconfigure in the field due to changing needs and requirements, and which provides a means for securing a flexible bag in each compartment (particularly a bag without handles) without the risk of slippage and wherein the bag is retained around the entire opening of the compartment to maximize the opening to the bag.